Pastry Cream Filling Recipes

VANILLA PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Place the milk, half the sugar and the vanilla bean in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Combine the egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a bowl and whisk until light in color. Add in the flour and the salt, mix to combine.
• When the milk just begins to boil, remove from heat and remove vanilla bean. Very slowly dribble the hot milk into the yolk mixture, stirring all the time. When about half of the milk has been added, place all of the yolk mixture into the saucepan over medium heat. Using a spatula or a whisk, mix the pastry cream as it heats, making sure to reach all of the corners of the pan when you stir. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. The mixture will be thick.
• Remove from heat and add the butter. Strain if you wish for a smoother cream. Place into a bowl and cover directly with plastic wrap to stop a skin from forming on the cream. Chill and use within a few days.

PASTRY CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Heat heavy cream in medium sauce pan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt together. Add cornstarch into mixture, continue whisking until it is a pale yellow and thick.
• When cream reaches full simmer, slowly whisk it into yolk mixture. Return mixture back to sauce pan, continue cooking over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick and glossy, about 1-2 minutes. Take off heat whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl large enough to hold it, take some plastic wrap press directly onto surface, refrigerate until cold and set, at least 2 hours.

VANILLA PASTRY CREAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a heat-safe container large enough to hold a medium saucepan, fill with about 1 to 2 inches of ice water.
• In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, until well blended.
• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir with whisk to blend thoroughly. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and stir until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk mixture until thoroughly blended.
• Put pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, continuing to stir constantly.
• Immediately place pan in container with the ice water. Stir frequently as mixture cools. Stir in vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Press a sheet of plastic wrap onto surface of custard to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer bowl to refrigerator to chill thoroughly.

CREAM-FILLED PUFF PASTRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
• Fold a 12-inch square sheet of aluminum foil in half, turn and fold in half again; you should have a small square. Now, fold diagonally and once more again. You will now have a triangle. Wrap it around your index finger and mold into a cone shape. Repeat 9 more times to make 10 molds. (Note: these can be reused.) Lightly spray the foil molds with nonstick spray.
• Lay out the puff pastry sheet on a work surface with one of the long sides facing you. Cut the pastry into 3/4-inch-wide strips from top to bottom to make 20 strips. Wrap 2 pastry strips around each mold, overlapping a little with each wrap. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly browned around the edges, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar in batches with the salt. Gently fold in the blackberry preserves (so there is some veining). Transfer to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the filling firm up.
• Pipe the filling into each pastry from the wider end. Serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and some blackberries and mint.

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don' t curdle or scorch on the bottom.
• When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using.

PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Stir together the milk, salt, vanilla bean and seeds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar has just dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch, egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until smooth. While continually whisking, slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture. Continue to whisk until smooth. (This is called tempering, and it will prevent the yolks from scrambling.) Continue whisking and adding 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture at a time until completely combined and smooth.
• Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the texture of pudding, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the butter until smooth and glossy. Remove the vanilla bean.
• Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Before serving, whisk the pastry cream until smooth and fluffy.

FRENCH PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups milk to boiling.
• While milk is heating, whisk egg yolks, sugar and remaining 1/4 cup milk.
• Whisk in cornstarch and flour until smooth.
• Temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in about 1/3 of the heated milk, then whisking in the remaining milk.
• Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils.
• Whisk constantly.
• Reduce heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla or other flavorings.
• Pour into a bowl, press plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and cool to room temperature before chilling for at least 2 hours.

PASTRY CREAM FOR CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Whisk egg yolks until smooth in a large bowl. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
• Whisking constantly, slowly pour one third of the milk mixture into egg yolks (this step is called tempering, which keeps the yolks from curdling). Pour mixture into remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
• Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

PASTRY CREAM FOR PIES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, Heat milk to boiling point and remove from the heat.
• In a heatproof mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until smooth. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until pale yellow. Beat in the flour.
• Pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture in a steady stream, beating constantly. When all the milk has been added, place the bowl over (not in) a pan of boiling water, or pour the mixture into the top of a double boiler. Heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cook 2 minutes more, then remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool.

NO-FUSS PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup; add to saucepan along with butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil 1 minute, still whisking; then remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of cream to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Just before using, whisk until smooth.

PASTRY CREAM FOR CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Bring milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisking, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Slowly add remaining milk mixture until incorporated. Pour mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking, until it begins to bubble in center and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean.
• Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter; beat on medium speed until butter has melted and mixture has cooled, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, beat on low speed or whisk by hand until smooth.